Play Nice
by Child of Loki
Summary: Why is Henry having such a difficult time getting along with the Sanctuary's new guest? Only Magnus seems to know the real reason, and she's bound to secrecy. Chapter 4 up! Henry/OC
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own Sanctuary or its characters… (the lame ones that pop up are probably mine, though…)**

**Author's note: Wrote this a while back when I first watched Sanctuary and wanted to play with the character of Henry.

* * *

**

Dr. Helen Magnus silently observed the pair sitting before her desk. The anticipated side-effect of her directed silence was apparently coming to fruition, as they looked uncomfortable in their chairs, practically squirming like admonished children. And that's precisely what they deserved.

"I expected the both of you to demonstrate a superior sense of self-control," she announced, letting her accusing eyes fall particularly on Henry Foss, who unlike their guest, she had considerable responsibility in his upbringing. He cast his eyes down and resembled that little boy she had oft caught with his hand in the jar of biscuits.

"We tried to avoid each other," Henry supplied quietly.

"Obviously, the attempt failed miserably," Helen countered. "I still cannot quite fathom how individuals that I know to be generally so amiable and respectful came to blows. If we hadn't been there to separate the two of you... the imagination does not do it justice, I dare say."

Apparently, she had begun to lose the pair of delinquents' attention with her lecture, for they were exchanging glares once more. It was quite odd and yet somehow understandable if one was aware of all the facts, as Helen Magnus was.

Even upon the first introduction of Persis, their guest from the New Delhi Sanctuary, to Henry, there had been an immediate tension between the two. Being intimately aware of the consequences of losing control, she had believed the young man would overcome the obviously instinctual aversion to the woman. Besides, he had always seemed to respond to the presence of a pretty girl, which with her dark hair, eyes and skin, Persis was quite the exotic beauty.

Her silent reproach obviously had gotten to her ward and he suffered an outburst of the most childish manner upon being rebuked by an elder.

"She started it!" he argued vehemently. Helen gave him a severe look for the excuse.

"Well, she did," he pouted, unwilling to let the point go.

The Hindi girl crossed her arms, her lips pursed into a scowl beneath her thin nose. Helen obviously did not know her as well as she did Henry, but her discourteous behavior towards him surprised her as much as Henry's reciprocation of it. She was polite and respectful when Helen examined and treated her as a patient; kind, and even shy when conversing with Will or Ashley, but put her in a room with Henry...

"She said I smell!" Henry exclaimed.

"All I suggest was that you try bathing once in a while," Persis replied. The pair was no longer paying attention to Magnus' commanding and marginally frustrated personage in the least; instead, picking up their spat where it had resided a little prior to turning physically violent.

"Well, if I stink so much, then you should've been able to smell me coming and gone the other way," Henry shot back.

"Your stench pollutes this entire place!" she cried, leaning aggressively toward him, a posture he mirrored.

"It's no worse than-"

"Enough!" Helen cried sharply, silencing the both of them before she continued in a more even tone. "Avoiding the issue hasn't proven successful. Neither has uncontrolled confrontation. Since Persis will be with us for a little while longer whilst I refine her treatment, I am suggesting a change in tactic. Either you work out your issues on your own, in a civil manner... or Will is going to assist you."

She nodded to her protégé, whose background in psychology was proving far more useful than she had even anticipated. He acknowledged her evaluation of the situation from where he stood across the room, observing the entire exchange. The rebuked pair both looked to him with slight winces on their face. Like most abnormals he had encountered, neither seemed enthralled at the thought of sharing their histories, their issues.

"I would recommend starting on the topic of your abnormalities," Helen announced cheerfully. "I think you'll find some common experience there."

"Yes, Dr. Magnus," Persis replied, albeit hesitatingly. Henry just nodded his head in defeat before they both rose and exited Helen's office in silence.

"What is all of that about?!" Will asked, claiming one of the chairs the confoundedly hate-filled pair had vacated. "I take it that it has something to do with their abnormalities..."

"You know I can't say, Will," Magnus replied. "Even though you're already aware of the nature of Henry's abnormality, Persis bound me to secrecy about hers as well. Privacy in this matter is something I value, and part of the core beliefs of 'Sanctuary for All'."

"I wouldn't be wrong to assume that hers is similar to Henry's..." Will concluded, "Since you thought they'd find something in common by discussing it. Is she a werewolf, too?"

Helen Magnus raised her eyebrows in a suggestive yet noncommittal gesture.

"Let's just say that the old adage 'they fight like cats and dogs' is quite accurate when applied to Henry and Persis."

"Really?" Will's brain analyzed the hint she had given him, the only one she could without breaking her promise. The arguments and bad blood suddenly made much more sense given their normally demure natures. "Oh, wow..."

Both Will and Helen froze at the commotion to which their ears alerted them. There were growling and snarling noises, the sound of claws scraping wood and large bodies slamming into walls and each other.

"Oh, no!" The pair of abnormal hunters said simultaneously before bolting for the door.

* * *

**A/N: TBC… (possibly-if I decide to fill in the gaps and post it)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's note: Guess there is no real reason for me not to finish this. There are very few gaps in the brief tale that need filling… hopefully I will get to them and post the rest of this story.

* * *

**

"Oh, she was beautiful, wasn't she?" Dr. Magnus commented in that faraway manner she developed when taken by her contemplations of abnormals. After the needle was slipped from the unconscious girl's arm and deposited along the other medical paraphernalia, the century-and-a-half-old woman tenderly stroked her patient's placid cheek.

"It was a striking sight," Will conceded. "Anyone would believe she was the real thing."

"Considering all factors, she /is/ the genuine article after undergoing transformation," Magnus pointed out.

"I meant that she could easily be mistaken as any Bengal tiger in the jungle," Will clarified his previous comment.

"True, her form is as precise as any natural-born member of the species," Magnus conceded. "But her DNA is primarily human." She paused thoughtfully. "I was led to believe that she retains a substantial amount of control over her metamorphoses. However, our Henry seems to have broken down some of her barriers."

"It must be an instinctual compulsion from their abnormal sides," Will concluded. "She doesn't seem the type to start fights, at least from what I can tell. And Henry..."

"Is as docile as a pup for all his desires to be in the field," Magnus finished Will's thought whilst rechecking the bandages covering Henry's wounds. She hated having to patch the boy up almost as much as when Ashley got injured, even more so when it was a result of needless violence. She sighed; time for the other part of her maternal responsibilities.

Gently, she stroked Henry's cheek with the back of her hand, saying his name quietly. When he failed to stir-_perhaps he knew he was in a significant amount of trouble_-she turned the gentle caress into a light smack and called for him to wake in a more forceful tone.

This approach worked much better, for within seconds Henry was moaning and blinking his eyes, before trying to curl up on his side, begging for 'just a few more minutes.' Almost immediately he straightened out, his eyes opening wide to find Helen.

"Ouch," he groaned over the pain in his side, the result of a massive contusion. "What happened, Magnus?"

"You and our guest from New Delhi got into a bit of a scuffle," she announced with an admonitory edge to her voice.

"Oh, I'm sorry," he apologized as he tried to sit up with her assistance. "I'm not sure what happened." His eyes darted to the dark haired woman laid out on the table a few feet away. He swallowed, and shakily asked whether she was alright.

"She'll be fine, Henry," Magnus reassured, softening even though she knew she should be hard with him. "She suffered primarily superficial injuries, as you did."

"However, it could have easily been a lot worse," she added upon seeing his relief. She couldn't help but give him an exasperated look. "I cannot fathom how we can resolve this situation. There is no logical reason why the pair of you shouldn't get along."

"Besides that my inner dog wants to chase her inner cat, which doesn't appreciate the gesture," Henry supplied.

"Very concisely put, Henry," she affirmed, giving him a smile for his succinct albeit crude summation. "You had better go to your room before I wake her up. Try to get some rest. There are several yards of hallway that will require your attention when you feel up to it. The place is quite a sorry state for your antics."

"Yes, Magnus," the young man conceded, before hanging his head and limping for the door.

"Hey," Will caught his attention. "I'll stop by later, see if you need any help with that mess."

"Thanks," Henry acknowledged the offer, which he knew would somehow turn into psychobabble and discussions of feelings. He did like the guy, but sometimes he wished he would just turn it off. Boy, were there a lot of things that Henry wished came with switches... He limped off towards his room.

"Well, then." Magnus turned her attention from considering the young man she had basically raised, and how difficult she found it to witness his failure in maintaining his composure, knowing how it frustrated him. She prepared a slide of blood she had taken from the young woman responsible for Henry's loss of control. She had a suspicion as to the cause of Persis' outbursts. "Patient Number Two. Or should I say 'ruffian number two'?"

"Same thing as of late, isn't it?" Will agreed with her assessment. "I wonder why she hasn't been able to keep it together around Henry, if she supposedly has such strong willpower."

"It may have to do with the reason she came here," Magnus commented, placing the slide in the microscope and playing with the lenses until she seemed satisfied. Well, most definitely not satisfied by what she found. The scientist sighed. "This cocktail is failing, too."

"Her treatment's not working?" Will inferred. He tried to compile what he knew about abnormals and fill in the gaps which were Persis' personal history that he wasn't permitted to know. "Is she going to revert to her abnormal state permanently?"

"No, I don't foresee anything so drastic occurring," Magnus shot his educated guess down. "It's more of a quality of life issue."

"What is it you're treating her for?" Will's curiosity was beyond piqued.

"Will, I am sorry." And she seemed genuinely so. "But I'm not at liberty to discuss this with anyone but my patient and her other doctors."

"Well, if you don't get whatever this is sorted out, and things between her and Henry continue this way, I /am/ going to end up being one of her doctors," Will countered. He sighed. How he hated secrecy! But it was as much a part of this place as the great stone walls or Magnus herself. "I'll leave you to it."

Helen really didn't enjoy leaving Will out of the loop, but she had thus far failed to convince Persis to reveal her condition to him, to seek his help with the emotional repercussions. And with the way the situation was developing, or failing to improve, as it were, there might be a better chance of Will finding a resolution to the young woman's problem.

"Dr. Magnus?"

The small voice made her jump, before she realized its source and turned to face her patient with a sincere smile.

"Oh, Persis, you gave me a fright," she informed the much younger woman. "How are you feeling?"

"Like a bus run me over," she replied, hand to her forehead. "Oh, I turned! And Henry... Is he okay? I am so sorry, Dr. Magnus. I do not know what happened."

"Everything's fine," Magnus reassured her distraught, near panicking patient. "I already sent Henry to his room for not playing nice."

"It is not entirely his fault," Persis replied looking guilty.

"That was attempt at lightening the mood, Persis." Magnus placed a comforting hand upon her shoulder. "But I would like to know what happened."

"I...am not sure," the confused abnormal girl responded. She turned large, frightened eyes upon the scientist. "You think it has something to do with my condition? The treatment is not working?!"

"It could be the case, but it's too early to become alarmed," Magnus reassured without offering false hope. The last thing she would ever do would be to lie to a patient who had placed their trust in her.

"Don't worry yourself, Persis. We _will_ figure out a way to treat this."

* * *

**A/N: Will Henry and Persis find a way to play nice, or will they continue to be a danger to each other and the Sanctuary?**


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: Really, really sorry for taking so long to update this. This was basically written when the first couple of chapters were, just needed some small gaps filled in…**

**So takes place circa season one…

* * *

**

How had it come to this?

Henry found himself questioning the events that had led to his sitting in Will's head shrinking office, being stared down in that non-confrontational 'talk to me' sort of way typical to therapists. The silence stretched on until both men were on the verge of outright fidgeting.

He had always prided himself on being a laid back sort of guy. Okay, sometimes, situations could find him a little highly strung, but on a daily basis he was most definitely not the confrontational sort of person. But that girl...that _were-tiger_...

Just thinking about her made his hackles rise and his skin itch with predatory anticipation. Animal instinct. That's what it was. That and her provocation!

Will drummed his fingers, took off his glasses and rubbed at his eyes, before replacing them and continuing to stare Henry down.

"Well, if you've got nothing to say, then I've got a pile of work..." Henry tried to rise from the overstuffed chair.

"Sit," Will barked. The command rubbed him the wrong way, but he obeyed like an admonished pup.

"Is there any particular reason that you think led to this confrontation with Persis?" Will inquired flatly.

Henry rolled his eyes pointedly.

"Besides the nature of your abnormalities?"

"No," Henry huffed. "I could say that she was rude to me first. But I felt an aversion to her even before she spoke a word."

"I know you've always fought your instincts, your very nature," Will supplied. "But hasn't, as Dr. Magnus suggested, accepting it, understanding it, aided in dealing with its affects?"

Henry shrugged, and played with the bit of fabric fraying at the edge of the chair's arm.

"What would you suggest, then?" Henry asked quietly.

"Try to resolve your issues with Persis," Will instructed gently. "But don't ignore your instincts. Repressing them is likely what caused the pair of you to come to violence. Be wary. But try."

"What does it matter if we're friends?!" Henry exclaimed frustratedly.

"For one, she is a guest here. And in all likelihood, will remain here for several more weeks."

Much to his own surprise, Henry growled. Will raised his eyebrows, but refrained from acknowledging the outburst.

"Given her contributions to the New Delhi Sanctuary, you may have to work with her at some point in the future."

Henry remained silent.

"Not to mention, it would be a good exercise for you to learn how to deal with the more uncontrollable, poignant aspects of your condition."

Dammit, the shrink had a point.

"And finally," Will added as Henry stood. "Magnus said that she would very much appreciate if you could learn to play nice with others. Something about raising you better than that."

...

The mere sight of her sent adrenaline coursing through his veins. He breathed deeply, filling his nose and lungs with the scent of her. And it affected him far more than light waves bouncing off from her being captured by his eyes. Her scent entered him, was absorbed into his flesh, exciting his blood, battling and stimulating the hormones found therein.

He choked down the growl, hopefully stifling it before she heard the potentially aggressive indicator. It was surprising that she had permitted his entrance into her territory at all. Well, technically, it was his territory first, but he supposed he had to allow that she had the right to claim the room Magnus had granted her for the duration of her stay in the Sanctuary.

Her large, dark eyes gave him an annoyed, questioning glance. Something subtle flashed in their depths. Rage? She appeared to suppress, forcing a civil smile across her lips.

"What is it I can do for you, Mr. Foss?" she asked with just as much effort to be cordial tightening her lips.

"I wanted to apologize for my behavior," Henry offered, battling with the rising tension in his muscles. He physically shook the predatory instinct away, but the raised hairs on the nape of his neck refused to budge.

"I, too, am sorry," she replied, finally getting up from where she had been sitting on the bed, setting aside the laptop upon which she had been working. With a graceful sweep of her arm that caused several bangles to jingle as they clashed, she invited him to sit, claiming a chair nearby. Perhaps, too nearby...

_No! Stop it, Wolfy_!

"So...you live at the New Delhi Sanctuary?" Henry tried to find some sort of small talk that would keep them in neutral ground, and possibly ease them into a more genial acquaintance.

"Yes," Persis conceded, looking as awkward as he felt. "I also do work there."

"What kind of work?" Henry continued down the standard list for polite conversation.

"Weapons technology," she replied. The topic seemingly have distracted her from the discomfort of his presence, she continued a little more easily, "For the safe capture of abnormals that are danger to others."

"I've been working on a sonic incapacitation weapon " Henry exclaimed, a little more animatedly, his passion for technogeekery outweighing his inherent disdain for the woman.

"I, too, have explored the potential for an effective sonic device," Persis replied, her eyes lighting up as she leaned in a little closer.

"You have to see _this_ then!" Henry jumped to his feet and held out his hand. She hesitated, then smiled before taking it and allowing him to lead her out the door to his own little sanctuary within the large complex, all instinctual predatory urges momentarily forgotten.

* * *

**A/N: There's another chapter…**


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note: C'mon…you could totally see what this was all working up to, right? **

**Warning: Some mature content. Nothing really explicit.

* * *

**

There was a soft knock upon his door, to which Henry responded automatically by giving invitation. The person to present themselves was the last he had expected to see darken his doorway.

"Persis?" he spoke her name in disbelief. True, they had begun to get along a bit better, but that didn't constitute any sort of relationship beyond forced geniality and some shared interest.

"I want to apologize for my rude behavior," she supplied, her accent thickening. She was rubbing her arm in an agitated manner, and then switched to wringing her hands. When he had first met her, after the initial aversion but before the clash of their bestial forms, Henry had observed her to be a very controlled, put-together sort of person. The past few days had elucidated a rather rapid deterioration in her composure, even though they had refrained from releasing their inner beasts upon one another once again, coming to human form blows, or even exchanging harsh words. It was even more an odd gesture, since they had already exchanged apologies before for their earlier hostilities.

"No worries," Henry replied whilst trying to discern the cause for her agitated demeanor. "I wasn't exactly Mr. Friendly, myself."

She smiled in a sincere albeit distracted manner. Her hands continued to dance around her body without finding solace, drawing his attention to curves he had only begun to notice since he had quieted the instinctual reaction of his inner wolf. Had either of their situations been different, he would've been fantasizing about those curves days and days ago-their feel, the ways they would fit about his body. Not to mention her pretty round face and large, expressive eyes. Eyes that currently were darting about pensively.

"What is it? What's wrong?" Henry asked, beginning to feel uncomfortable himself, for more reasons than one.

"Why I came here... Why I need Dr. Magnus' help..." she supplied. Hastily, she stopped wringing her hands and pinned him with an odd gaze. As she stepped toward him, Henry found himself backing away from her for fear he could not restrain himself. The urge he felt to pounce on her, knock her to the ground and trap her with his body was threatening to overwhelm his self-control.

"With that nose of yours," she began, laughing nervously. "I am surprised you have not figure it out yet."

Closing his eyes, he took in a deep draught of air, carefully searching for any signs of that to which she referred. Automatically, he set aside the normal smells of the Sanctuary, not that they were powerful enough to cover the predominate scent he found. It was her, but more poignant and with a slightly different edge than when they had first met. There was quite a lot of anxiety, and a bit of fear. But the alluring layer of her scent was inarguably the most oppressive. He felt the beast stir inside of him, drawn by the oversaturated pheromones of a female. The threat of a lascivious blush warmed his face.

"I am in heat," Persis revealed, her face reddening in embarrassment. _And Henry thought his abnormality was rough..._

"The treatment Dr. Magnus developed worked well until a few days ago," she continued to explain. "But now it does nothing. I feel as if my skin is too tight and I am on fire. And I fear it will drive me mad if I do not..." With a rushed breath, she took a break from her hastily delivered explanation, color rising enough to be noticeable in her gorgeous tan skin. "...have sex very soon."

Henry's eyes opened wider in shock. He had been so busy trying to keep himself under control that he had missed the rather apparent purpose for her seeking out his bedroom door. Swallowing hard, he questioned her choice.

"Why me?" he asked, genuinely confused. "I mean, we nearly killed each other and I'm still not so sure if I'd rather kiss you or tear you to pieces."

"You are attracted to me," she sought reassurance of her conclusion.

"with all the pheromones you're flooding me with, I'd be attracted to a lamp if it made eyes at me," he replied.

"I see," she said, a hint of disappointment mingling in with the tumultuous mix of other emotions driving her nervous behavior. Henry felt horrible for the comment upon seeing how she trembled uncontrollably from head to toe. Her composure was failing further with every moment that passed.

"Then I must ask you for this favor," she reasserted with difficulty, avoiding his eyes. This conversation was by no means an easy one for her. He could see that despite her deterioration in demeanor. After a moment, she looked at him with big, brown, pleading eyes. "Please, Henry."

"There are plenty of guys out there," he tried to convince her to find someone else, not because he disliked the thought of throwing her on his bed, running his tongue over her olive skin, parting her delicious thighs and fu... No, that most definitely appealed to him. It was more the beast inside of him that was salivating over the idea of sinking his teeth into her flesh, tasting her blood, and ripping out her throat. He was in no way certain of which direction he may go once his hands were upon her.

"I really do repulse you," she observed, quietly adding to herself, "I thought that... I was obviously wrong."

"That-that's not it," he protested. There was a pounding in his ears, beyond his own frenzied blood. It was the rapid beating of her heart. And it called to him, to do what to her-he wasn't sure, but his mouth began to water over the options that were presenting themselves. The exposed flesh of her neck glistened with a light sheen of sweat, so soft, so vulnerable... He shook his head, reigning in the voracious thoughts. "I could hurt you, Persis. I can't control myself around you. What if I change?"

"That is why it can only be you," she reasoned. "My control is not what it was. And you are the only one who can handle me if the Bengal emerges."

Henry nodded his head in quiet understanding, still reluctant to surrender to the desires that had been pleading with him to take her in any way he could. If they were to attempt this.../rough sex/ could take on a whole new meaning. But in that respect, he supposed they were sort of made for each other.

Gingerly, he reached out a hand to cup her trembling cheek. Persis hadn't lied. Her skin felt as if it were on fire and yet she shook as if she had a severe chill. Taking a shuddering breath in, she placed her hand atop his, holding it to her face as she leaned into it, obviously desperate for the contact.

No longer able to resist, he pulled her close, claiming her lips in a hungry embrace that she eagerly returned. He then proceeded to fulfill her every need, spending himself again and again throughout the night, driven by her pheromones and the pleasures of her inviting body.

It wasn't until dawn that purring her contentment, she finally curled up against him without awaking in a few short hours to rekindle his lust with her own insatiability.

* * *

**A/N: Just a little epilogue left, I think, since this was all written long enough ago I'm not sure I could jump back into the characters easily (not that this probably isn't already out of character).**


End file.
